Hillsdale College football team stuns Grand Valley State

Citizen Patriot | Mike PrysonKam Mueller and Mark Petro, left, of Hillsdale celebrate after the Chargers’ win over Grand Valley State on Saturday.HILLSDALE — Troy Weatherhead is a believer, and he's not alone.

Weatherhead, the senior quarterback for the Hillsdale College football team, engineered a 67-yard scoring drive in the final 5 minutes that resulted in a Billy Kanitz 1-yard scoring run with 36 seconds to play to give the Chargers a 27-24 victory Saturday over NCAA Division II top-ranked Grand Valley State.

The win before a big homecoming crowd at Muddy Waters Stadium was not sealed until Grand Valley State kicker Justin Trumble pushed a 49-yard field goal attempt just wide right as time ran out.

"We talked about it all week," Weatherhead said. "We believed we could win. Every break we had this week, we said, ‘Believe.'

"It's a great feeling right now. I think we made everyone believe."

The loss was the first for Grand Valley State in conference play since 2004, and it was Hillsdale's first win over the Lakers since 1994.

It also was the first loss in 38 regular-season games for this year's senior class at Grand Valley State, and it snapped a 48-game regular-season winning streak for the Lakers, dating back to 2004.

"I kind of scratched my head when the administration scheduled this game for homecoming," Hillsdale coach Keith Otterbein said. "But it proves why they make the money they do and decisions they do, and they just let me coach football."

Grand Valley State came back just before half to pull to within 17-15 on a 1-yard run by James Berezik.

Hillsdale extended its lead to 20-15 on a 27-yard field goal by Petro with 4:47 to play in the third quarter before Grand Valley State rallied to take a 21-20 lead on a 28-yard pass play from Brad Iciek to Blake Smolen with 1:56 left in the third.

The Lakers then added a 30-yard field goal by Trumble to go up 24-20 with 5:27 to play.

Hillsdale did not fold, and the Chargers took their final possession 67 yards in 11 plays. The key play leading up to Kanitz's 1-yard scoring plunge was a 12-yard pass to the right sideline from Weatherhead to Mike Blanchard on second-and-four from the 13.

Grand Valley State started its final possession from its own 17 with 29 seconds to play. The Lakers used a series of short passes to move into field-goal range.

"This is one I'm going to remember for a long time," Weatherhead said.

Otterbein likely won't forget this one anytime soon, either.

"There were just so many great plays, offense, defense, special teams," Otterbein said. "Our kids played with so much heart, so much emotion and so much passion."